The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-02
Gladstone and Home Rule.

Mr. Gladstone, it is said, left London
soon after the unexpectedly'large majority
against his appeal from the governments
proclamation of the Irish National League,
discouraged and unhappy. In his distress
he has the sympathy of millions of admir-
ers in all countries of the civilized world,
who look upon him as the foremost expo
nent of the idea that that govern
ment is best and safest which most
fully trusts the virtue and intelligence of
its people. His long political life, since the
eaEly years of its formative period has been
devoted to the breaking of the shackles of
restriction locked in former years by one
class Of his fellow countrymen upon
another, or by his countrymen upon sub
ject peoples. In this good work he has been
more than once far in advance of the senti-
ment of his country, and has suffered in the
loss of power, and as the victim of I'M
measured abuse. But in every instance,
heretofore, the people have finally caught
up with their leader recognizing his wis
dom and adopting his views
In this great mans last fight for home
rule in Ireland, undertaken in his old age,
browning achievement of long life well
spent in the service Of his country, he meets
a check at time when the loss of even
few months may mean final disappoint-
ment. His leadership is necessary to early
success, because with him alone can the
great Liberal party, made up of elements
sometimes discordant, unite in national
policy, and he has reached an age when he
can hope for but little more of active life
This is the weakness of his position The
present Parliament, less than two years old,
has yet five years of life, if for that term
the Tory government can maintain a ma
jority on all great questions which may
come up This is not impossible Made
conscious by the recent by-elections of the
change of temper among the people on the
Irish question, Lord Salisbury will
not appeal to the country so
long as he can avoid doing so,
and to escape that necessity will evade as
far as possible all divisions in Parliament in
which the Radical and Liberal allies of his
party will not willingly walk with his nat
ural supporters. In other words, he viii
probably adopt an opportunist policy, doing
nothing he can avoid, and trusting that the
developments of time will be in his favor.
In any event it is his best chance for an ex-
tended Lease of power.
Admirers of Mr.. Gladstone may
hope that he will live to
see the last great movement which he has
led result in the liberation of the Irish from
imperial control in their local affairs, but it
is probable that final success is not contin-
gent upon his life and leadership. Great as
he is, the movement has grown beyond that;
it has become a struggle of the masses
against the privileges of the classes, and the
question involves the destinies of England
as well as Ireland. Armed with the bal
lot, still new to them, but its powers
beginning to be appreciated, the working
men of England are demanding a share III
the government, which the privilege of CEN.
turtles had given entirely to others, and be-
fore many years that country may witness
another of those peaceful revolutions in
which freedom "broadens down from prece-
dent to precedent" ever tightening the bur-
dens of the humber and limiting the privi-
leges of the higher orders